The present invention relates to farm equipment for handling wire fences, especially for laying or retrieving wire fences. An auger fixture on a Bobcat(copyright) or other skidsteer loader is used to rotate a reel having an expandable core, wherein the reel retrieves a wire fence off the ground, or lays a roll of fencing down.
One of the most difficult farm tasks is the unwinding, laying and stretching of woven wire prior to its fastening onto the posts. While wire strand fence and barb wire may be extended over a ground area by two men using a shaft rod through the wire spool and then walking the proposed fence line, woven wire presents almost insurmountable problems due to its weight and inherent stiffness which resists unreeling. Obviously, the rewinding of the woven wire, if it is desired to take up the fence, presents even more of a problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,912,183 (1959) to Hull discloses a two-wheeled carriage towed behind a farm tractor. The carriage carries a spool that can wind up or lay out barbed wire or straight wire fencing. The device consists of many parts to accomplish its tasks.
The present invention is a spool that is placed onto an auger attachment on a Bobcat(copyright) or other skidsteer loader. The auger attachment is generally used to rotate a drill into the earth. The present invention uses the auger attachment to rotate the spool. The spool has an expandable core that uses wedges to expand the core while reeling the fencing in or out. When the fencing roll is ready to be disengaged, the core is reduced.
The main aspect of the present invention is to implement a fence winding system to lay or retrieve wire fences using a rotatable reel having an expandable core, the reel being driven by an auger drive assembly on a tractor.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an operator the ability to pick up and wind fence into a compact cylindrical coil for disposal or recycling without the need of hauling a trailer.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a fence handling attachment that may be easily attached or detached from a Bobcat(copyright) or other skidsteer loader.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a fence handling attachment that is economical in manufacture and durable in use.
Other aspects of this invention will appear from the following description and appended claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.